Assessment of DNA damages in lymphocytes of agricultural workers exposed to pesticides by comet assay in a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: To assess the predictive power of the comet assay in the context of occupational exposure to pesticides. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The recruited subjects completed a structured questionnaire and gave a blood sample. Exposure to pesticides was measured by means of an algorithm based on Dosemeci's work (Agricultural Health Study). Approximately 50 images were analyzed for each sample via fluorescence microscopy. The extent of DNA damage was estimated by tail moment (TM) and is the product of tail DNA (%) and tail Length. RESULTS: Crude significant risks (odds ratios, ORs) for values higher than the 75th percentile of TM were observed among the exposed subjects (score > 1). The frequency of some confounding factors (sex, age and smoking) was significantly higher among the exposed workers. A significant dose-effect relationship was observed between TM and exposure score. Significant high-risk estimates (ORs), adjusted by the studied confounding factors, among exposure to pesticides and TM, % tail DNA and tail length were confirmed using unconditional logistic regression models. CONCLUSIONS: The adjusted associations (ORs) between the comet parameters and exposure to pesticides were significant. The sensitivity of the comet test was low (41%), the specificity (89%) and the predictive positive value (0.77) were found acceptable.

Maternal Exposure to Pesticides, Paternal Occupation in the Army/Police Force, and CYP2D6*4 Polymorphism in the Etiology of Childhood Acute Leukemia.

Epidemiologic studies have suggested that parental occupations, pesticide use, environmental factors, and genetic polymorphism are involved in the etiology of childhood acute leukemia (CAL). In total, 116 cases of CAL and 162 controls were recruited and submitted to blood drawing to assess the presence of genetic polymorphisms. Parental occupations, pesticides exposure, and other potential determinants were investigated. Increased risk for CAL was associated with prenatal maternal use of insecticides/rodenticides (odds ratio [OR]=1.87; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.04-3.33), with subjects living <100 m from pesticide-treated fields (OR=3.21; 95% CI, 1.37-7.53) and with a paternal occupation as traffic warden/policeman (OR=4.02; 95% CI, 1.63-9.87). Associations were found between CAL and genetic polymorphism of CYP2D6*4 for homozygous alleles (mutant type/mutant type: OR=6.39; 95% CI, 1.17-34.66). In conclusion, despite the small sample size, maternal prenatal exposure to pesticides, paternal occupation as a traffic warden/police officer, and CYP2D6*4 polymorphism could play a role in the etiology of CAL.

Prevalence of Thyroid Diseases in an Occupationally Radiation Exposed Group: A Cross-Sectional Study in a University Hospital of Southern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid diseases occur more frequently in people exposed to ionizing radiation, but the relationship between occupational exposure to ionizing radiation and thyroid pathologies still remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of thyroid diseases in healthcare workers exposed to low-level ionizing radiation compared with a control group working at the University Hospital of Bari, Southern Italy, and living in the same geographical area, characterized by mild iodine deficiency. METHODS: We ran a cross-sectional study to investigate whether healthcare workers exposed to ionizing radiation had a higher prevalence of thyroid diseases. Four hundred and forty-four exposed healthcare workers (241 more exposed, or "A Category", and 203 less exposed, or "B Category") and 614 nonexposed healthcare workers were enrolled during a routine examination at the Occupational Health Unit. They were asked to fill in an anamnestic questionnaire and undergo a physical examination, serum determination of fT3, fT4 and TSH, anti-TPO ab and anti-TG ab and ultrasound neck scan. Thyroid nodules were submitted to fine needle aspiration biopsy when indicated. RESULTS: The prevalence of thyroid diseases was statistically higher in the exposed workers compared to controls (40% vs 29%, adPR 1.65; IC95% 1.34-2.07). In particular, the thyroid nodularity prevalence in the exposed group was approximately twice as high as that in the controls (29% vs 13%; adPR 2.83; IC95% 2.12-3.8). No statistically significant association was found between exposure to ionizing radiation and other thyroid diseases. CONCLUSION: In our study, mild ionizing radiation-exposed healthcare workers had a statistically higher prevalence of thyroid diseases than the control group. The results are likely due to a closer and more meticulous health surveillance programme carried out in the ionising radiation-exposed workers, allowing them to identify thyroid alterations earlier than non-exposed health staff.

Genetically Determined Height and Risk of Non-hodgkin Lymphoma.

Although the evidence is not consistent, epidemiologic studies have suggested that taller adult height may be associated with an increased risk of some non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. Height is largely determined by genetic factors, but how these genetic factors may contribute to NHL risk is unknown. We investigated the relationship between genetic determinants of height and NHL risk using data from eight genome-wide association studies (GWAS) comprising 10,629 NHL cases, including 3,857 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 2,847 follicular lymphoma (FL), 3,100 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and 825 marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) cases, and 9,505 controls of European ancestry. We evaluated genetically predicted height by constructing polygenic risk scores using 833 height-associated SNPs. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for association between genetically determined height and the risk of four NHL subtypes in each GWAS and then used fixed-effect meta-analysis to combine subtype results across studies. We found suggestive evidence between taller genetically determined height and increased CLL risk (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.00-1.17, p = 0.049), which was slightly stronger among women (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01-1.31, p = 0.036). No significant associations were observed with DLBCL, FL, or MZL. Our findings suggest that there may be some shared genetic factors between CLL and height, but other endogenous or environmental factors may underlie reported epidemiologic height associations with other subtypes.

[Prevalence of infections by hepatitis A, B, C and E viruses in two different socioeconomic groups of children from Santa Cruz, Bolivia]. / Prevalencia de las infecciones de los virus A, B, C y E de la hepatitis en dos grupos de niños de nivel socioeconómico distinto de Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The epidemiology of hepatitis A, E, B and C was analyzed in 1,393 children living in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. They were distributed in two groups according to the social condition. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 1,393 children were selected from two different schools: one attended by children belonging to a high social class of the town (group A), and the other school attended by children belonging to the poorest social class (group B). Blood samples were drawn by a team of physicians from Rome University La Sapienza. Serum antibodies against hepatitis A, B, C and E virus, and the hepatitis B surface antigen were evaluated by immunometric methods. The significance was evaluated using the *2 test. RESULTS: Antibodies against hepatitis A virus were detected in 82% of examined children, with a significant difference between the two groups (56.3% vs 94.8%). The incidence of anti-HBc antibodies increased with age, so the infection is acquired prevalently in adolescence with a significant difference between both groups (1.1% vs 3.8%). The same phenomenon was observed with anti-HCV antibodies (4.7% positivity only in group B). Serum antibodies against hepatitis E virus were observed in 1.7% cases. CONCLUSIONS: In Bolivia, as in other developing countries, viral hepatitis represents a serious burden for public health. Spreading of viral hepatitis can be controlled upon improving hygienic conditions and customs. Moreover, a vaccination plan against hepatitis A and B virus is necessary for the population living in endemic areas.

[Mortality in a cohort of asbestos cement workers in Bari]. / Mortalità di una coorte di lavoratori del cemento amianto a Bari.

The study describes the mortality of 417 workers employed in a asbestos-cement plant, located in Bari, Puglia, Southern Italy. Follow up started on February 1st 1972. The vital status and cause of death were ascertained at 1995. The mortality experience of the Apulian population was used as comparison. Using 90% confidence limits (CLs), a significant increase in mortality was observed in our cohort from: all causes of death (SMR 118, CL 100-139), pneumoconiosis (SMR 14810, CL 10298-20683), all types of cancer (SMR 139, CL 105-181), lung (SMR 191, CL 126-277), pleural (SMR 1560 CL 431-4081) and peritoneum (SMR 1705, CL 303-5367) malignant neoplasms. In our cohort, the discrepancy between observed and expected mortality for lung and pleural cancer occurred 30 years after the first exposure, after 40 years for all neoplasms and peritoneum cancer. Under the Cox regression model, lung cancer SMR showed a curvilinear trend along time since first exposure, the peak being detected at 35 years. Finally, SMRs from our cohort were compared to a previously described cohort including workers from the same plant compensated for asbestosis by INAIL.

Thrombosis in systemic lupus erythematosus: congenital and acquired risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the thrombotic tendency in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by evaluating congenital or acquired abnormalities associated with an increased risk of venous and/or arterial thrombosis. METHODS: A total of 57 patients with SLE were included in the study. Twenty-one patients (37%) had a history of arterial and/or venous thrombosis and 36 patients (63%) did not have such a history. Sera from 50 healthy controls were examined. Protein C, protein S, antithrombin, D-dimer, fibrinogen, homocysteine, anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), lupus anticoagulant (LAC), prothrombin G20210A, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T gene mutation were evaluated. RESULTS: Protein C, antithrombin, fibrinogen, D-dimer, and homocysteine levels were significantly higher in patients with SLE than in controls. A prothrombin mutation was observed in 2 (4%) of 50 controls and in 6 (11%) of 57 patients. A significantly higher prevalence (P = 0.036) of MTHFR homozygous mutation was observed in patients with SLE (14 [25%] of 57) in comparison with controls (4 [8%] of 50). IgG-aCL and IgM-aCL levels were significantly higher in patients with SLE than in controls (P < 0.0001). The presence of medium-high (> or = 20 IgG phospholipid units/ml) IgG-aCL antibody titers was significantly higher (P = 0.005) in patients with thrombosis (11 [52%] of 21) than in patients without (5 [14%] of 36) thrombosis. LAC was present in 22 (38.5%) of 57 patients and in none of 50 controls. CONCLUSION: In this study, we confirm the association between thrombosis and IgG-aCL at medium-high titers and suggest that the coexistence of other risk factors can affect the expression of thrombosis in patients with SLE.

Prevalencia de las infecciones de los virus A, B, C y E de la hepatitisen dos grupos de niños de nivel socioeconómico distinto de Santa Cruz, Bolivia / Prevalence of infections by hepatitis A, B, C and E viruses in two different socioeconomic groups of children from Santa Cruz, Bolivia

FUNDAMENTO Y OBJETIVOS: Se ha examinado la epidemiología de las hepatitis A y E, que se transmiten por vía gastroentérica, y de las hepatitis B y C, que se transmiten por vía parenteral o sexual, en niños de diferente condición social residentes en la ciudad de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: Se seleccionó a 1.393 niños de dos escuelas, una frecuentada por niños que pertenecen a la mejor clase social de la ciudad (grupo A), y la otra, por niños de clase social más pobre (grupo B). Las muestras de sangre fueron obtenidas por médicos de la Universidad de Roma La Sapienza. Los anticuerpos séricos contra los virus de las hepatitis A, B, C y E, y el antígeno de superficie del virus B, se determinaron con métodos inmunoenzimáticos. La significación se valoró con la prueba de la 2.RESULTADOS: Los anticuerpos contra el virus A estaban presentes en el 82 por ciento de los niños examinados, con una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre ambos grupos (el 56,3 frente al 94,8 por ciento). La prevalencia de los anticuerpos anti-HBc y anti-HBs aumentó con la edad, de modo que la infección se adquirió prevalentemente en la adolescencia, con una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre los grupos A y B (el 1,1 frente al 3,8 por ciento). El mismo fenómeno se observó en la evaluación de los anticuerpos anti-VHC (4,7 por ciento de positividad sólo en el grupo B).Por último, la presencia de anticuerpos contra el virus de la hepatitis E se observó sólo en el 1,7 por ciento de la población estudiada. CONCLUSIONES: En Bolivia, como en otros países en vías de desarrollo, las hepatitis víricas representan un grave problema de salud pública. La difusión de la hepatitis vírica puede controlarse mejorando las condiciones higiénicas y las costumbres de vida. Además, un plan de vacunación contra los virus A y B de la hepatitis es indispensable para la población que vive en un área endémica (AU)